Retro Review - Society

Society is a film in which a man gets fisted. To the extent that his head is pulled through his bum. Whilst such a sight may be common on Youporn, this may be the first incidence of this occuring in mainstream cinema.

Still reading? Brian Yuzna, producer of Re-Animator, made his directorial debut with this satirical tale of the American rich and what goes on behind their closed doors

Billy Warlock takes a break from starring in baywatch and numerous day time soap operas to take the starring role as a rich but troubled Beverly Hills teenager who begins to suspect his family and friends may not be all they seem. When he hears a tape of his sisters 'coming out' party his fears increase and he begins to question

Whilst the film initially keeps events on a relatively even keel, things soon take a turn for the surreal with incest, cannibalism and general gloopy weirdness all on the menu,

The last thirty minutes is a literal orgy of special effects, with bodies distorting and melting into each other as the truth is revealed and a captured Billy is forced to attend a party in which the rich suck the life out of their working class victims, It is here the somewhat unfortunate fisting occurs, as Billy escapes one of his pursuers by turning in inside out. This is shown in graphic, if rubbery, detail. The special effects were created by an individual going by the name 'Screaming Mad George', which seems a suitable epithet for the creator of this senes.

Of course there are hints throughout this this may all be in Billy's imagination. He is
after all prone to hallucinations, and is seeing a psychiatrist.

The film's points about class society are far from subtle, and the sudden shifts in tone and rather arbitrary ending make for an uneven experience, but the imagery of the closing scenes and sheer weirdness of the film will ensure society will linger in the memory.